Tire air transfer device

ABSTRACT

An air transfer device for transferring compressed air from a source volume to a recipient volume. The air transfer device is an assembly that includes a hose with couplings at each end to releasably connect to the source and recipient volumes, and has a variable volume flow control valve between the couplings. An air transfer device is also provided with an ergonomic flow control valve having a variety of interchangeable attachments for connecting to inflatable objects. The air transfer device has many applications, including transferring air between vehicle tires by use of air chucks as the couplings on the ends of the hose.

BACKGROUND

[0001] This invention relates to a device for pressurizing inflatableobjects, and, more particularly, relates to a hose assembly andappurtenances for transferring compressed air from a source volume to arecipient volume.

[0002] The concept of providing relatively unrestricted pressurizedairflow through a hose assembly from a properly inflated tire to anunder-inflated tire is known in the art. Under-inflated tires are bothinconvenient and potentially hazardous. For a driver who has a flat tireon a highway, transferring air from an inflated tire to a deflated tiremay be preferable to changing the tire. This preference may be theresult of inclement weather conditions, an unsafe roadside, the lack ofthe driver's physical ability or mechanical inclination to change atire, the driver's desire to not get dirty, or merely a desire toachieve a temporary remedy in a minimum amount of time. For thistechnique to be effective, the under-inflated tire must be able to holdan amount of air pressure that will allow the vehicle to be driven for ashort time, such as the time it takes to get to a service station or atleast to an improved roadside stopping location.

[0003] A hose assembly for transferring air between tires has a fittingat each end that attaches to the respective tire. For example, aself-latching, clip-on ball foot air chuck may be attached at one end ofthe assembly, and a standard press-on ball foot air chuck may beattached at the other end. These air chucks have built-in shutoff valvesthat remain closed except when the chuck is fitted over a Schradervalve, the standard valve that is provided for inflation on the valvestems of most tires. In use, the self-latching ball foot chuck isconnected to the Schrader valve of the properly inflated tire, and aperson presses and holds the standard ball foot chuck on the Schradervalve of the under-inflated tire.

[0004] Hose assemblies may also include a valve in the hose thatprovides for a complete shutoff of the hose. Conventional valves usedinline do not provide for variable flow control of air through the hose,and would need to be actuated intermittently to restrict flow tointermittent spurts to slow the release of air, as might be desired toavoid excessive discharge of air from the compressed air source, or ifthe hose were used to fill objects with a lower pressure requirementthan the source.

[0005] Conventional hose assemblies are provided with end couplings thatare suited only for connecting to Schrader valves, severely limiting theuse of the assemblies. The air chucks provided are also relativelylacking in ergonomic design. Features for identifying the pressure inthe source and the recipient volumes are not provided. Without pressuregauging, the hose assembly must be disconnected to check the pressure,for example, in the properly inflated tire to verify the pressureremains adequate and is not reduced too much, as well as in theunder-inflated tire to verify the pressure is adequate for driving atleast a short distance.

[0006] For the reasons mentioned above, there is a need for an airtransfer device that can provide control and variation of airflow. Thereis also a need for a device that gauges pressure in the compressed airsource without disconnecting the hose assembly, alternatively or incombination with provisions for gauging pressure in the object to beinflated. The device should also be comfortable to use and allowattachment to a variety of objects to be pressurized, with these objectspossibly having lower pressure ratings than the source volume pressure.

SUMMARY

[0007] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to providean air transfer device allowing variable degrees of flow from acompressed air source volume, such as a properly inflated tire, to arecipient volume, such as an under-inflated tire or other inflatableobject.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide an airtransfer device that includes improved ergonomic features for comfort ofuse, as well as additional features that facilitate the activityperformed.

[0009] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an airtransfer device that readily allows attachment to a variety ofconnection types at the recipient volume, and allows customization bythe user to include preferred features inline with a hose of the airtransfer device.

[0010] According to the present invention, an air transfer device isprovided for transferring compressed air from a source volume to arecipient volume. The air transfer device is an assembly that includes ahose with couplings at each end to releasably connect to the source andrecipient volumes, and has a variable volume flow control valve betweenthe couplings. The air transfer device has a variety of applications,including transferring air between vehicle tires by use of air chucks asthe couplings on the ends of the hose.

[0011] Also according to the present invention, an air transfer deviceis provided with an ergonomic flow control valve. This valve has ahandle with a substantially axial opening through which air may flow, anactuator pivotally connected to the handle, an inlet at one end thatconnects to one end of the hose, and an outlet at the other end of thehandle that releasably connects to interchangeable end portions forconnecting to a variety of inflatable objects.

[0012] The present invention features pressure gauges for measuring thepressure in the source volume, recipient volume, or both.Interchangeable attachments are provided to allow connection of theergonomic flow control valve to a variety of inflatable objects.Examples of some attachments include nozzles for inflating balloons orbeach balls, flexible hose assemblies with clip-on air chucks, andadapters with ball inflation needles.

[0013] The present invention is simple to construct and yet is aneffective air transfer device with features previously not used in suchan assembly, facilitating transfer of air from a compressed air sourcevolume. The present invention also provides for ease of use by itsergonomic design.

[0014] The foregoing and other features and advantages of the presentinvention will become more apparent in light of the following detaileddescription of the embodiments thereof, as illustrated in theaccompanying figures. As will be realized, the invention is capable ofmodifications in various respects, all without departing from theinvention. Accordingly, the drawings and the description are to beregarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] For a more complete understanding of this invention referenceshould now be had to the embodiments illustrated in greater detail inthe accompanying drawings and described below.

[0016]FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a vehicle, schematicallyshowing the present invention in use on the vehicle;

[0017]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the presentinvention;

[0018]FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevation view of a valve of the embodimentof FIG. 2;

[0019]FIG. 4 is an elevation view of an alternative valve to the valveof the embodiment of FIG. 2;

[0020]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the presentinvention;

[0021]FIG. 6 is a partially exploded elevation view of an alternativeinterchangeable end for the embodiment of FIG. 5;

[0022] FIGS. 7-8 are elevation views of further alternativeinterchangeable ends for the embodiment of FIG. 5;

[0023]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the presentinvention;

[0024]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the presentinvention;

[0025]FIG. 11 is a partially exploded perspective view of anotherembodiment of the present invention; and

[0026]FIG. 12 is a partially schematic perspective view of anotherembodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION

[0027] A tire air transfer device 30 having features of the presentinvention is schematically shown in FIG. 1. The air transfer device 30comprises a hose 32, fittings 34, 36 at ends of the hose, and a valve 38between the fittings 34, 36. The air transfer device 30 is shown in use,transferring air between tires 40, 42 on a vehicle 44, depicted as acar. An inlet fitting 34 is connected to a valve stem on the compressedair source volume 40, here a properly inflated and mounted tire, and isthe inlet of the device 30. An outlet fitting 36 is connected to a valvestem on the recipient volume 42, here an under-inflated tire, and is theoutlet of the device 30. The valve 38 provides control of airflowthrough the device 30.

[0028] In the Figures herein, unique features receive unique numbers,while features that are the same in more than one drawing receive thesame numbers throughout. Where a feature is modified between figures, aletter is added or changed after the feature number to distinguish thatfeature from a similar feature in a previous figure. In addition,although reference is made to an inlet fitting 34 to be connected to asource compressed air volume, and to an outlet fitting 36, to beconnected to a recipient volume, these designations as inlet and outletare merely for the purposes of illustration, and the respective fittingscould be connected to either source or recipient volumes. Likewise,references to tires and air are for illustrative purposes, and thesource and recipient volumes are not intended to be limited to tires,nor is the compressed gas required to be limited to air.

[0029] One embodiment of the tire air transfer device 30 a of thepresent invention is shown in FIG. 2. A self-latching, clip-on ball footair chuck 34 a is provided to attach to the compressed air sourcevolume. A standard angle-faced, press-on ball foot air chuck 36 a isprovided as an outlet at the other end of the hose 32 a to connect tothe recipient volume. A variable volume flow control valve 38 a is shownto be proximate to the outlet air chuck 36 a, but could be locatedanywhere inline between the air chucks 34 a, 36 a. An axial flow airchuck is an alternative to the ball foot air chuck 36 a, and can allowaccess to valve stems that are inaccessible to the ball foot air chuck36 a.

[0030] The variable volume flow control valve 38 a of FIG. 2 is shown inFIG. 3. This valve 38 a allows graduated degrees of flow over the rangebetween fully open, where there is full flow, and fully closed, wherethere is no flow. The valve 38 a is shown as a quarter turn valve, suchas a ball valve, that restricts airflow depending on the position of theactuator 46. As shown, this valve 38 a has an actuator that is aturnable knob 46, preferably with an indicator arrow 48 to show thevalve position and writing indices 50 to indicate the fully-open (“MAX”)and fully-closed (“OFF”) positions.

[0031] An alternative variable volume flow control valve 38 b is shownin FIG. 4. This valve 38 b has an actuator that is a turnable lever 46b, and incorporates a pressure gauge 52. The valve 38 b may be orientedwith the pressure gauge 52 on either side of the valve portion 54, sothat when it is closed it measures the static pressure in either thesource or recipient volumes 40, 42, depending on the gauge 52 locationrelative to the valve portion 54. Other valves that provide variablelevels of flow may be selected by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0032] Connections of all of the components noted herein to each otherand to the hose 32 may be made in accordance with methods and materialsknown to those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, suchconnection methods may include, but are not limited to, threadedconnections, crimped rings and clips that compress the hose around stemsthat extend from other parts, and quick-connect type couplings.Connections should be pneumatically made, in that air may flow throughthe connections and in general they should be substantially leak-freeand tight seals. Where reference is made to pneumatic connections, suchconnections do not require that the pneumatically connected parts bephysically adjacent to each other, though the pneumatically connectedparts may be adjacent.

[0033] Another embodiment of a tire air transfer device 30 b is shown inFIG. 5. A dusting gun is modified to provide a flow control valve 38 cwith an ergonomic handle 56 and trigger-style actuator 58. This valve 38c opens when force is applied to the actuator 58 to cause it to pivottowards the handle 56. The valve 38 c automatically closes when theactuator 58 is released. Although the valve 38 c is shown as apistol-grip style, other styles of dusting or blow guns known to thoseof ordinary skill in the art may be similarly modified for use in thepresent invention.

[0034] The valve 38 c has an inlet 60 connected to the hose 32 a and anoutlet 62 that is modified from the outlet of a standard dusting gun toconnect to an adapter 64, allowing connection to a variety of componentsthat mate with the recipient volume 42. The valve 38 c and adapter 64form a valve assembly. The valve assembly can have a variety of ends,including but not limited to a threaded nipple, a threaded socket, amale quick-connect fitting, and a female quick-connect fitting. Asshown, the valve 38 c is threadedly connected to a quick-connect fittingfemale end 68, which receives a quick-connect male fitting 82, shownwith examples of end components in FIGS. 6-8.

[0035]FIG. 6 shows a removable dusting nozzle assembly 36 b, including adusting nozzle 80 with a fitting 82 at the inlet for releaseablyconnecting to the adapter 64 outlet 68. Commonly, dusting guns do nothave detachable nozzles. A separate attachment 84 is provided that fitsover the outlet 86 of the nozzle 80 to allow insertion and appropriaterestriction of airflow into balloons, beach balls, and other inflatableitems.

[0036]FIG. 7 shows a flexible hose and air chuck assembly 36 c. AEuropean-style clip-on air chuck 90 is attached to one end of a flexiblehose 92, allowing use of the air transfer device on recipient volumes 42with Schrader valves. The flexible hose 92 provides flexibility that maybe required to access Schrader valves in hard to reach places, and maybe any length, but an example length is approximately 6-inches.

[0037]FIG. 8 shows a ball inflation adapter 36 d, having a hollow body94 and a ball inflation needle 96 at one end of the body 94.

[0038]FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the air transfer device 30 c ofthe present invention. A pressure gauge 100 is provided between thevalve 38 c and inlet air chuck 34 a, and is shown to be connected to thehose 32 a using a tee fitting 102, although other connection types areknown to those of ordinary skill in the art. The pressure gauge 100.measures the pressure in the hose 32 a, and when the valve 38 c isclosed, the pressure gauge 100 measures the static pressure in thesource volume 40. In the air transfer device 30 d of FIG. 10, thepressure gauge 100 is instead connected directly into the flow controlvalve 38 d. This connection is shown to be made with an angled threadedfitting 104 through a tapped hole in the valve 38 d, but the connectionmay be cast into the valve 38 d or made by other methods known to thoseof skill in the art.

[0039]FIG. 11 shows yet another embodiment of an air transfer device 30e according to the present invention. The air transfer device 30 e has ahose 32 a with a fitting 112 that is one half of a releaseable couplingon one end. This fitting 112 is shown as a female quick-connect fittingfor connecting to a mating releaseable fitting 114, shown as male, on adusting gun 38 e with an affixed nozzle 80 a. The coupling 110, 112 maybe quick-connect or any other type of coupling known to one of ordinaryskill in the art. Couplings may be used with this embodiment 30 e andpressure gauges, fittings such as tees, variable flow control valves,and dusting or blow gun type valves to allow a user to build any customarrangement of components desired.

[0040] Another embodiment 30 fof the present invention is shown in FIG.12. Therein each of the previously disclosed embodiments 30 a-30 e ismodified by use of a self-coiling hose 32 b.

[0041] A range of sizes and rated pressures may be used for thecomponents described herein, and the present invention should not belimited to any particular size or pressure range. Such criteria may beselected by one of ordinary skill in the art. An example of one readilyavailable size that is appropriate is ¼-inch inside diameter hose andappurtenant parts. Pressure ratings selected should equal or exceed thepressure of the compressed air source volume for the particularapplication.

[0042] Examples of some suitable components for use in the presentinvention is noted below, but again, different parts may be specifiedand modified in accordance with the present invention by a person ofordinary skill in the art. For applications used with conventionalautomotive vehicle tires as the compressed air source, usually having amanufacturer's recommended maximum inflation pressure of between 35 and45 pounds per square inch, the following parts are suitable, and partswith greater or lesser pressure ratings may also be appropriate. Onesuitable hose 32 a is general service air and water hose item 7092-25200from Dayco Products, Inc. of Dayton, Ohio. For use on automobiles, alength should be provided that allows connection between any two tires;approximately 20 feet is generally adequate. A suitable self-latching,clip-on ball foot air chuck 34 a is item A809-Y75 from Acme Automotiveof East Brunswick, N.J. A dusting gun suitable for modification toprovide the flow control valve 38 c, 38 d, 38 e is item A1454 from AmProTool Corp. of Los Angeles, Calif. A European-style clip-on air chuck 90suitable for use on the flexible hose and air chuck assembly 36 c isitem 14-3100 from Alligator Ventilfabrik GmbH of Geingen/Brenz, Germany.

[0043] The tire air transfer device 30 design can be modified by thoseskilled in the art to provide many different features in a variety ofapplications. Additional features may be permanently or releaseablyincorporated into the embodiments shown in the Figures. For example,pressure gauges may be added on either or both sides of the variablevolume flow control valve 38 a, or any valve 38 used. Such gauges allowstatic pressure readings of the source and recipient volumes 40, 42 bymerely closing the flow control valve 38, without disconnecting the airtransfer device 30.

[0044] The present invention has many advantages, including providingvariable volume flow control that is particularly helpful in restrictingairflow when it is uncertain that the recipient volume is able tomaintain increased air pressure, when the recipient volume has lowerpressure requirements than the source volume, and when the recipientvolume is relatively small. The dusting gun-style flow control valveprovides comfort and ease of use in many applications with itsinterchangeable end connections. The use of pressure gauges furtherfacilitates use. Available customization provides a user with many newopportunities to exploit the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An air transfer device for transferringcompressed air from a source volume, defined by a source enclosure, to arecipient volume, defined by a recipient enclosure, the air transferdevice comprising: a hose having a first end and a second end; acoupling at the first end adapted to pneumatically and releasablyconnect to the source volume; means for pneumatically and releasablyconnecting to the recipient volume at the second end; and a valve forrestricting airflow in the hose to provide variable flow from the sourcevolume to the recipient volume, the valve interposed between thecoupling and the connecting means.
 2. The air transfer device of claim1, wherein the valve is a quarter turn valve.
 3. The air transfer deviceof claim 2, wherein the coupling and the connecting means are airchucks.
 4. The air transfer device of claim 1, further comprising apressure gauge pneumatically connected to the hose.
 5. The air transferdevice of claim 4, wherein the pneumatic connection of the pressuregauge to the hose is made between the valve and the coupling.
 6. The airtransfer device of claim 4, wherein the pneumatic connection of thepressure gauge to the hose is made between the valve and the connectingmeans.
 7. The air transfer device of claim 1, further comprising: afirst pressure gauge with a pneumatic connection to the hose madebetween the valve and the coupling; and a second pressure gauge with apneumatic connection to the hose made between the valve and theconnecting means.
 8. An air transfer device according to claim 1,wherein the hose is self-coiling.
 9. An air transfer device fortransferring air compressed air from a source tire to a recipient tireinitially having a lower pressure than the source tire, the air transferdevice comprising: a hose having a first end and a second end; a clip-onair chuck at the first end adapted to pneumatically connect to thesource tire; an air chuck at the second end adapted to pneumaticallyconnect to the recipient tire; and a valve for restricting airflow inthe hose to provide variable flow from the source tire to the recipienttire, the valve interposed between the clip-on air chuck and the airchuck.
 10. An air transfer device for transferring compressed air from asource volume, defined by a source enclosure, to a recipient volume,defined by a recipient enclosure, the air transfer device comprising: ahose having a first end and a second end; a coupling at the first endadapted to pneumatically and releasably connect to the source volume; avalve at the second end, the valve having a handle with two ends and asubstantially axial opening therebetween, an actuator pivotallyconnected to the handle, an inlet at one end of the handle adapted topneumatically connect to the second end of the hose, and an outlet atthe other end of the handle, wherein the valve is open when the actuatoris engaged and the valve is closed when the actuator is released; andmeans for pneumatically and releasably connecting to the recipientvolume, the connecting means having a first end and a second end, thefirst end of the connecting means being adapted to pneumatically andreleasably connect to the outlet of the valve and the second end of theconnecting means being adapted to pneumatically and releasably connectto the recipient volume.
 11. The air transfer device of claim 10,further comprising a pressure gauge pneumatically connected to the hose.12. The air transfer device of claim 11, wherein the pneumaticconnection of the pressure gauge to the hose is made between the valveand the coupling.
 13. The air transfer device of claim 11, wherein thepneumatic connection of the pressure gauge to the hose is made along thehandle of the valve.
 14. The air transfer device of claim 10, whereinthe connecting means comprises a nozzle with the second end adapted toinflate balloons and beach balls.
 15. The air transfer device of claim10, wherein the connecting means comprises a connection hose having aclip-on air chuck at the second end.
 16. The air transfer device ofclaim 10, wherein the connecting means comprises an adapter fittinghaving a ball inflation needle at the second end.
 17. The air transferdevice of claim 10, wherein the outlet of the valve comprises a fittingthat is one half of a releasable coupling, adapted to mate with theother half of the coupling that is attached to the connecting means. 18.The air transfer device of claim 10, wherein the outlet of the valve isselected from the group consisting of a threaded nipple, a threadedsocket, a male quick-connect fitting, and a female quick-connectfitting.
 19. An air transfer device according to claim 10, wherein thehose is self-coiling.
 20. An air valve for controlling flow ofcompressed air from a hose to an inflatable object having a connectionpoint for flow of air into the object, the air valve comprising: ahandle with two ends and a substantially axial opening therebetween; anactuator pivotally connected to the handle; an inlet at one end of thehandle adapted to pneumatically connect to the second end of the hose;an outlet at the other end of the handle, the outlet adapted topneumatically and releasably connect to interchangeable end portions forconnecting to a variety of connection point types, wherein the valve isopen when the actuator is engaged and the valve is closed when theactuator is released.
 21. The air valve of claim 20, further comprisinga pressure gauge pneumatically connected to the valve, with thepneumatic connection between the pressure gauge and the valve made alongthe handle of the valve.
 22. The air valve of claim 20, wherein theoutlet of the valve comprises one half of a releasable coupling.
 23. Theair valve of claim 20, wherein the outlet of the valve is selected fromthe group consisting of a threaded nipple, a threaded socket, a malequick-connect fitting, and a female quick-connect fitting.